


Real, Beautiful Things

by brucewaysne



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M, a kind of rewrite of their last scene in 2x02, just some byeler cuteness, made it gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-02-03 10:53:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12746886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brucewaysne/pseuds/brucewaysne
Summary: As they turn a corner to an empty street, he catches Will turning back to look at the busy, lighted avenue they were abandonning. His body tenses a little, and Mike wouldn’t have been able to tell without the physical contact that his arm around Will’s shoulders allows."Hey," Mike says, softly, and brings Will’s attention back to him. "Let’s just get you home, okay?"





	Real, Beautiful Things

**Author's Note:**

> this is both my first stranger things fanfic and first time writing 13/14/15 year olds or however old they're supposed to be so bear with me

 

 ****"No, no, I _got_ it." Mike had snapped at the rest of the group, efficiently dismissing all offers for help, and Will had been still too overwhelmed by the fresh memory of the _giant shadow_ to process the both confused and hurt look on his friends’ faces. He did notice, however, and was very sensitive to Mike’s concerned and protective behavior in response to the look of fright on Will’s face.

 

Mike’s hold on Will is now loose enough to not make him feel entrapped yet reassuringly steady as he leads his friend away from the disguised crowd and the noises. They walk together, close and warm, and silent for a while. Will seemz still shellshocked, and Mike is unsure what to say. Asking about it would appease his concerns and satisfy curiosity about the ‘visions’, but Will easily providing him an answer is unlikely. Mike wishes to make things easy for Will, for once.

 

As they turn a corner to an empty street, he catches Will turning back to look at the busy, lighted avenue they are abandonning. His body tenses a little, and Mike wouldn’t have been able to tell without the physical contact that his arm around Will’s shoulders allows.

 

"Hey," Mike says, softly, and brings Will’s attention back to him. "Let’s just get you home, okay?"

 

Words appear still hard for Will to form, because he opens his mouth as if it to speak but then closes it, seemingly conflicted, and can only manage a weak nod. That's okay, though, Mike will get him safely home.

 

 

* * *

 

 

So, in the end, Mike didn’t take Will home _home_ , but rather back to his own house, since it was a shorter walk and Will probably really neess to sit down.

 

Eventually, Mike had to let go of his friend, partly because after a good ten minutes of walking together this close it was becoming weird, but mostly just because he had to open the door. Grabbing Will by the elbow, Mike leads him down the stairs to the basement with an encouraging _‘come on!’_. It's a basement Will is very familiar, even though now stands a small shelter made of old looking sheets in the left hand corner.

 

"This is where El used to stay when I was hiding her inside the house." Mike says, nodding cheerfully towards it. It's the first he's directly acknowledging its presence.  "Wanna see?"

 

Will beams at him, and both boys hurry towards the fort, fumbling around a bit as they cautiously try to fit in the small, encased space. Finally, they settle on laying down on their backs, their feet being the only parts of their bodies that couldn’t fit fully inside and thus poke through the sheets-door.

 

Glancing around, Will notices the pillows and blankets tossed to the side, which Eleven must have used during her time in the house, and he can't help but wonder how close they must have been. Will turned his face towards Mike, but Mike's eyes are fixated on something on the ceiling, as if the stripes and triangular patterns of the sheets are of any interest. 

 

"Do you miss her?"

 

Mike hesitates before admitting in a muttering voice, "Yeah. She was really nice. I think you two would have gotten along, you know."

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Yeah." Mike breathes, clearly picturing, displaying memories of his time with her in his mind. Will doesn’t interrupt. "She’s so cool. She's kinda quiet like you and all, but then she does all this amazing stuff with her mind, dude, it’s _insane_."

 

That last word is illustrated with Mike throwing his hands in the air and Will can’t contain his happy chuckle. It’s hard, _impossible_ to picture a girl his age with no hair and telepathic powers, but he tries. She sounds more fun that the stuff _he's_ encountered last year. 

 

"Do you think she’s—you know, _really gone_?"

 

"Nah." Mike’s voice is softer, eyes narrowed. "I know she's not."

 

There's a brief pause, during which Will simply cannot take his eyes away from the emotions on Mike's face. He can't read them, but they're there.

 

"Anyway," Mike says but then they fall quiet, again.

 

Will clears his throat to break the silence, and also because it feels slightly sore from what would normally indicate nervousness, yet he can’t imagine would he could be feeling nervous about at the moment. He can’t see the monster anymore. He wonders if he should tell Mike what he saw. Wonders if Mike perhaps expects him to, sooner or later during the evening. The positive thing about telling Mike is, Mike would listen. He would listen, understand, and believe him. Only his friends and family can ever do that. 

 

However, something unfamiliar tugs at the back of Will’s mind. Talking about the visions makes them real. They make him sound possessed and they make people worried. 

 

He decides he’ll tell his mom, later. Right now, Mike is someone who can make it go away for a night. The living nightmares and all. He wishes it would all go away.

 

"Hey Will?" Mike blurts out, out of nowhere.

 

"Yes Mike?"

 

He hears more than sees Mike prepping himself up on one elbow to look at him. Mike bites his lower lip, looking hesitant, and Will wonders if he too should move from his laying position, but then Mike abruptily sits up completely and crosses his legs. He takes a seemingly difficult, deep breath before letting the words escape his lips hesitantly.

 

"Do you think—can I... kiss you?" 

 

That takes Will off guard, specifically the shyness with which the last two words came out. He swallows at the question, and finds himself mirroring just as quickly Mike's position, and then they're both sitting face to face, and Will nods, « Yes."

 

"Oh." Mike says, smiles. "O-okay."

 

He leans in first, but Will meets him halfway, lips connecting in the most tender, natural way. It’s the first time they’ve kissed, the first time Will has kissed anyone, actually, but Mike’s touch feels familiar, somehow. The kiss itself is entirely new and exciting, but the warmth, the sentiments, the _words_ that come with it are not. They’re comforting.

 

When he pulls back, Mike can’t will his mouth to _close_ , and instead his face stuck in a gaping expression. Will ducks his head to hide his smile. 

 

"Um," Mike starts, because he can never just stop talking, apparently, "So…"

 

Will squints his eyes, smiling still. "Sooo, I know this is gonna sound stupid now but… thought you liked El?"

 

" _What_?" Mike gasps, frowning in surprise. 

 

Will shrugs, grimacing somewhat apologetically. "I know, I know! But you’re always talking about her and how _awesome_ she is, I just—I don’t know."

 

"She’s awesome because she has _superpowers_!" Mike explains, still trying to recover from how _wrong_ Will had been all this time about who his real crush is. He’d thought everyone knew, what with being glued to Will’s side all day long since he came back. "Will—I don’t—I like— _you_."

 

"Oh."

 

" _Oh,_ yeah." Mike rolls his eyes, and commented sarcastically, "You seem so moved."

 

"No!" Will laughs, leaning forward to grab at Mike’s wrist in a reassuring touch. "I—Mike, I like you too." But now Mike’s gaze is fixated on his lap. Realizing it’s probably becoming weird at this point, Will it about to let go and pull his hand away, but Mike stops him but covering Will’s hand with his free one, pulling Will an inch close to him in the process.

 

It might have been fleeting seconds or minutes of them staring back into each other’s eyes, holding each other’s hands, breathing each other’s air. They stay like that, like a tableaux vivant, soothing.

 

Until a loud voice echoes in the corridors and down in the basement. It's Mike’s mother, shouting for Will to come downstairs.

 

"Your brother’s here." Mike notes.

 

Right.

 

Looking down at his watch, Will smiles when he notices the clock hands indicating nine thirty. Jonathan will make him swear never to tell mom.

 

"I’ll see at school, yeah?" Will asks, and ‘o _f course’_ Mike responds. The boys both hurry to their feet and out the room, and Mike accompanies Will downstairs, standing outside the door to his house to wave at Will as he climbs into his brother’s car. The rare lighthearted look on Will’s face is infectuous.

**Author's Note:**

> will byers is g a y thank you for your time


End file.
